Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• paper baking cup
• vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 0.5 (14 1/8 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts

Recipe

• 1 to prepare butter cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. beat at low speed until blended after each addition. stir in vanilla.
• 2 place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. bake for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
• 3 to prepare pecan pie frosting, whisk together first 6 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute or until thickened. remove pan from heat; stir in butter and vanilla, whisking until butter melts. place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on surface of mixture (to prevent a film from forming); chill about 3 hours or until thick. makes 4 cups. frost each cupcake.
• 4 to prepare piecrust leaves, unroll piecrust on a flat surface. using a 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out leaves. bake according to package directions. makes about 48 leaves.
• 5 top each cupcake with toasted pecans and 1 piecrust leaf.